Pathmark, the supermarket name plenty of Long Islanders grew up shopping at, is making a local comeback in a slimmed-down form. Allegiance Retail Services and a local operator are turning the former Super Foodtown in East Meadow into "Pathmark Daily," a smaller, streamlined market set to open Friday, May 1 at 625 Merrick Ave. The new concept is pitched as a quick, fresh-focused alternative to the old full-service Pathmark stores, more grab-and-go than weekly stock-up.
What Pathmark Daily Will Offer
Pathmark Daily is a compact-format banner centered on fresh produce, meats, seafood and everyday essentials for faster trips, according to Grocery Dive. Allegiance Retail Services President and COO Joseph Fantozzi called it an answer for shoppers who want a fast, hassle-free experience that still leans on value and quality. The co-op says the stores will feature C&S Wholesale Grocers’ Best Yet private-label line along with a loyalty rewards program aimed at stretching household budgets.
East Meadow Details
The East Meadow Pathmark Daily will take over the former Super Foodtown footprint at 625 Merrick Ave, with about 15,000 square feet on the main sales floor and additional storage space below, per LongIsland.com. A ribbon-cutting and grand opening are set for May 1, marking Pathmark’s first Long Island expansion under Allegiance’s ownership, according to Greater Long Island. Inside, crews have been reworking the layout to fit the smaller-format model while largely keeping the existing storefront intact.
Who’s Opening It
Mike Said, the Allegiance co-op member who currently runs the Foodtown at the site, will be the first operator to launch a Pathmark Daily, The Shelby Report reports. Said described the new banner as a way to marry convenience and value for neighborhood shoppers. He also plans to lower prices under the Pathmark Daily name to pull in more traffic, according to AOL, which cited earlier reporting that referenced Newsday.
A Brief Brand Backstory
Pathmark’s return comes after a long stretch off the Island’s grocery map. The chain was acquired by rival A&P in 2007 in a multimillion-dollar deal, then largely vanished from Long Island when A&P filed for bankruptcy and liquidated in 2015, according to coverage by the Associated Press. Allegiance Retail Services bought the Pathmark name and related intellectual property in 2016, then tested a revival with a renovated Pathmark in Brooklyn in 2019, per the company’s release on PRWeb. The East Meadow store is the first Pathmark Daily rollout Allegiance has announced for Long Island.
What Shoppers Should Expect
Allegiance plans to watch how the East Meadow store performs before committing to more Pathmark Daily locations, although the company has signaled that the banner could expand if demand holds up, according to Grocery Dive. For now, local shoppers can look for competitive weekly promotions, a focus on fresh departments and the Best Yet house brand paired with a loyalty program. If this test store hits its marks, similar small-format sites could be retrofitted across the region in the coming months.
